Identifying Criminals by Hands Visible in Images

Peel Regional Police
Forensic Identification Services
Identifying Criminals by
Hands Visible in Images
SHANE TURNIDGE
AFIS ANALYST
shane.turnidge@peelpolice.ca
3M Cogent Users Group International Conference
October 31 November 4, 2015 Rohnert Park, California, USA
Identifying Criminals by Hands Visible in Images
Presentation Overview
Sources of evidence
Methodology
Considerations
Calibration
Cell phone images
Twitter Case study
The path ahead
Sources of Evidence
Cell phones
Tablets Computers
Cameras
Internet / Social Media
Look for reasonable close-up

images of hands and/or digits
Methodology
Image Processing:
1.Horizontal Flipping
2.Inverting
3.Clarification
4.Calibration

Hand orientation Print Orientation

To synchronize a photo with a set of prints you must horizontally flip
either the image or the known impressions.
Image inverting
In images, the furrows and the major and minor creases usually appear
darker and the tops of the ridges usually appear lighter.
Inverting the image, essentially creating a negative, makes the surface of the
ridges dark and synchronizes the ridges to the known impressions.
To undertake a comparison you may want to invert the

photograph.

Synchronized!
Ridges are now black in both images

This is an excellent time to Clarify the image (If you need to)

Qualitative Considerations
Clarity
Much more than just file size!
Clarity in Images
Resolution
Focus
Lighting
Movement while the image being acquired
Optics of the camera
Size of the CCD (Charged Coupled Device) chip or CMOS
(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) chip
Megapixels
Image compression method
Hand Orientation

Quantitative Considerations
Secondary and some Minor creases may not be visible in
the image

Quantitative Considerations
All ridge detail visible, including the detail in the furrows

May not be visible in the impression
Comparison
A friction ridge comparison is carried out by means of a ridge
to ridge process.
The exact magnification of one image to the other does not
matter as long as the ridge to ridge process is followed.
That said; to assist a court, jury, or a trier of fact, both the
evidence and impression images should be calibrated to
equal size where possible.
Calibration
The evidentiary image must be of the same resolution as the known
record image.
When your known record is 1:1 (Actual size) you must find a way to
calibrate your evidentiary image to make it also 1:1.
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Evidence is situational -- Look for the opportunities!

Objects visible in the image may have known size values.
Guns
Medication - Narcotics
Auto parts, Electronics
Recovered Jewellry or other evidence.
It is possible to calibrate with friction skin.
Known Record

Known Record
When using a known

records friction skin to
calibrate two images, pick
two features as far apart
as possible

Known Record
Cropped image
Using the crop feature, pick two points and crop the image.

Cropped image
Because the cropped image is vertical, take note of the height: 8.48cm
Cancel and move to the horizontally flipped evidentiary image.

Horizontally Flipped
Evidentiary Image
Do the same to the

horizontally flipped
evidentiary image.
Use the same two
features.
Again, the cropped image is vertical. Note the height in this image is 13.77cm.
1
2
We now un-click the resample image box and;

Input the 8.48cm value in the height box.
Notice the resolution has changed! We copy this information for the next step.
Click cancel and go back to the large image of the hand.

Evidentiary Image
We uncheck the resample image box and input the

resolution value from the cropped image.
Hit Ok. The image is now 1:1 (Actual size)

Evidentiary Image
Click on the Resample Image box and

enter the 300ppi value and click OK.
The image is now 1:1 and 300ppi.

Calibration!
Both images are now 1:1 and have the same resolution

Switching gears
Which Phones are capable of good images?

iPhone 5s

iPhone 6

Samsung S3

Samsung S5

Samsung S6

Blackberry Z30

Sony Xperia Z
Craigslist

Twitter case
An investigator was keeping tabs on the social media posting of
known gang members. And he came across this posting of a gang
member that had a weapons/explosives prohibition as part of his
recognizance.

Twitter case

Twitter case

Twitter case
The Path Ahead
Images are only going to keep getting better and better.

Need to develop best practices.
More and more casework!
More general acceptance.
SOPs?
OSACs? Formalization? Standardization?
Fingerprint Sourcebook?
Understanding Palm Prints

References
Ashbaugh, David R, Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis. An introduction to Basic and
Advanced Ridgeology. CRC Press ,1999
National Institute of Justice, The Fingerprint Sourcebook
Chris Grice, Shane Turnidge: Identifying Criminals by Hands Visible in Images; Evidence Technology
Magazine: Volume 13, number 4, pages 8 13. (http://www.evidencemagazine.com/v13n4.htm)
Image and photo credits:
Slide 2: The Onion (Desk calendar)
Slide 4: www.technicsblog.com, www.cellphonemdusa.com, a-el.blogspot.com, www.forlandsaas.com
Slide 5: J. Turnidge, J. Fraser, M. Fischer, D. Cryderman, M. Pflug
Slide 7, 8,10,11,14: S. Turnidge
Slide 15: M. Taylor
Slide 18 27: S. Turnidge
Slide 29: J. Fraser
Slide 30: M. Fischer
Slide 31: D. Cryderman
Slide 32: J. Turnidge
Understanding Palm Prints

References
Image and photo credits continued;
Slide 33: D. Spinks
Slide 34: R. Nauffts
Slide 35: M. Pflug
Slide 37: www.kijiji.com
Slide 38 - 41: Evidence images: S. Turnidge
Peel Regional Police

Forensic Identification Services
Identifying Criminals by
Hands Visible in Images
SHANE TURNIDGE
AFIS ANALYST
shane.turnidge@peelpolice.ca
3M Cogent Users Group International Conference
October 31 November 4, 2015 Rohnert Park, California, USA

Identifying Criminals by Hands Visible in Images

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Peel Regional Police

Forensic Identification Services